Moon Author's Review
Halse Hall Great House (halsehallgreathouse@hotmail.com, http://halsehall.tripod.com) has been owned since 1969 by aluminum mining giant Alcoa. The property was named Hato de Buena Vista (Ranch with a Nice View) by the Spaniards who laid the foundation on which the present structure stands. Major Thomas Halse arrived with the British forces in 1655 and was given the property as a land grant following the British takeover. Halse built the present structure in the fortified style of the time to defend against potential reprisals from the Spanish and their Maroon allies. A second story was added by his heirs in the 1740s. Perhaps the most distinguished owner of the property was Thomas Henry de la Beche, an English geologist who founded the geological survey of Great Britain Royal School of Mines and Mining Record Office and wrote Remarks on the Geology of Jamaica. Ownership passed from the hands of the family in the 1830s to settle debt. Visitors are welcome to pass through to tour the house and grounds with prior notice and approval. Call Vanecia Harris tel. 876/986-2561, extension 4210, to request a visit.
